Privacy Policy

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Last updated: 20th July 2026

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This policy explains how Critter Sitters Sussex ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses and protects personal information belonging to clients, prospective clients and their dogs, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

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Critter Sitters Sussex provides dog daycare and dog walking services on the outskirts of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex.

Data controller: Samantha Hall Address: Business Address Email: hello@crittersitterssussex.co.uk Phone: TBC

If you have any questions about this policy or how your information is handled, contact us using the details above.‍ ‍

2. Information we collect‍ ‍

We collect information in the following ways:

When you make an enquiry (by phone, email, or the contact form on this website)

  • Your name, email address, phone number

  • Your dog's name, breed and age

  • Any details you choose to share about your enquiry

If you go on to book daycare or walking services

  • Home address, for collection and drop-off

  • Emergency contact details

  • Your dog's health information, including vaccination status, medical conditions, medication, allergies and behavioural notes

  • Vet practice details, in case of emergency

  • Payment details, for invoicing [confirm how payment is actually taken — e.g. bank transfer, card reader, invoicing platform — and update this section accordingly]

During the course of care

  • Notes on your dog's day (behaviour, welfare observations, incidents), kept in line with our daily routine and welfare procedures.

[If CCTV or a webcam is in use anywhere on the premises, this must be disclosed here, including what's recorded, why, and how long footage is retained. If not currently used, this line can be removed.]

Through this website

  • If our contact form is used, it opens your own email application and sends the enquiry directly to our inbox — we do not store form entries on a server or database ourselves.

3. Why we collect this information

We collect and use this information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and arrange introductory visits

  • Provide daycare and walking services safely and appropriately

  • Match dogs into suitable, compatible groups

  • Contact you in an emergency, or to update you about your dog's day

  • Meet our legal obligations, including those relating to our licence to operate as a dog daycare/boarding provider and animal welfare law

  • Invoice for services provided

Our legal basis for processing this information is primarily contract (to provide the service you've asked for) and legitimate interest (to run the business safely and communicate with clients). Where we hold sensitive information such as your dog's health details, we do so because it's necessary to provide safe, appropriate care.

4. Who we share it with ‍

We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone. ‍

We may share limited information with:

  • Veterinary practices, in the event of an emergency or routine query about your dog

  • Staff directly involved in your dog's care

  • Our insurance provider, if a claim needs to be made

  • Regulatory or licensing authorities, where we're legally required to provide information

  • Third-party service providers who support the running of the business (for example, invoicing or scheduling software) [list these once confirmed — e.g. accounting software, booking platform]

We do not share your information with anyone for marketing purposes.

5. How long we keep information

  • Enquiry details from people who don't go on to book: kept for [insert period — e.g. 6 months] and then deleted

  • Client and dog records: kept for the duration of your dog's time with us, and for [insert period — e.g. up to 6 years] afterwards, in line with insurance and licensing requirements

  • Financial records: kept for as long as required by HMRC (currently 6 years)

6. How we protect your information

We take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure, including:

  • Restricting access to client and dog records to staff who need it to provide care

  • Storing physical and digital records securely

  • Reviewing who has access to information periodically ‍

7. Cookies and this website ‍

Squarespace, as our website platform, may set its own essential cookies to allow the site to function. If analytics tools (such as Squarespace Analytics or Google Analytics), booking widgets, or marketing pixels are added to the site, this section must list them, explain what they do, and — where required — link to a cookie consent banner allowing visitors to accept or decline non-essential cookies.

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Ask what personal information we hold about you and your dog

  • Ask us to correct inaccurate information

  • Ask us to delete information, where we're not required to keep it for legal reasons

  • Object to how we use your information, in certain circumstances

  • Ask us to restrict how we use your information

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@crittersitterssussex.co.uk.

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example if our services, systems or legal obligations change. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

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